By: Martin A. Sadongdong
Drunken men and minors were among 593 persons arrested and rescued by the police in the One Time, Big Time anti-crime campaign conducted in Taguig and Pasay cities from Friday night until early yesterday morning.
In Taguig, police chief Senior Supt. Alex Santos said 474 persons were apprehended and rescued in the operation conducted by the eight police community precincts.
Santos said 163 motorcycle riders were cited by the police for various offenses; 147 men drinking liquor on the streets during the wee hours were apprehended; and 120 minors were rescued for violating the curfew hour from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Also taken during the four-hour operation that started at 2 a.m. were 34 men walking half-naked on the street which is a violation of a city ordinance, five persons due to illegal gambling, four drug suspects, a man carrying an unlicensed gun, and man who has a standing arrest warrant.
Fourteen motorcycles with no proper documents were impounded and subjected for verification if they were stolen.
Those arrested were taken to the Taguig police headquarters and the rescued minors were turned over to the social welfare development office.
In Pasay, Supt. Danry Francisco, chief of the police investigation unit, disclosed that 119 persons were caught and rescued in their operation in 200 barangays from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. yesterday.
Francisco said 88 of them violated various ordinances against urinating in public places, drinking on the street during wee hours, walking half-naked on the street, and curfew.
Twenty-five drug suspects, two persons carrying undocumented guns, and three persons with standing warrants of arrests were also arrested.
The operation also resulted into the arrest through an informant of a wanted man and robbery suspect Jonathan Penaflor, who had eluded arrest by the police several times.
Eight sachets of suspected shabu, an unlicensed caliber .38 revolver with a bullet, a fan knife, and three undocumented motorcycles suspected to be carjacked were seized from the suspects.
